Culture is the main tool for freedom, progress and equality while words are raw materials for art, across the globe, said Jose Maria Ridao Dominguez, ambassador of Spain in India while speaking about the upcoming 46th International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) where Spain will be the focal theme country for the second time and will set up a special pavilion.

Announcing the next edition of the book fair, Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, general secretary, and Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, said, “We are pleased to announce that the International Kolkata Book Fair, recognised by International Publishers Association, Geneva, will be inaugurated on 30 January, 2023 and will continue till 12 February. The fair will be inaugurated by the chief minister Mamata Banerjee.”

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Speaking on the theme country, Spain, Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, said, “This will be their second appearance. Earlier it was in 2006. We fondly remember that in 2006 at the Spanish Pavilion of the IKBF, the Embassy of Spain in India signed an MOU with Calcutta University, after which the government of Spain started providing a lecturer for the Spanish language department. In addition to that, the international examination DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as Foreign Language) started in Kolkata, conducted by Instituto Cervantes, Government of Spain.”

Dominguez, Spain’s ambassador to India, said, “We have a lot of respect for Indian culture. Spain is committed to the motto of equality, freedom and progress. The Kolkata Book Fair exudes these characteristics. We will also have a special pavilion that will be made with simple materials to express our very high culture with humble origins.”

The international complex will also have the presence of the UK, USA, Japan, Vietnam, France, Thailand, Australia, Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Peru, other Latin American countries and Bangladesh. Another important highlight of the Book Fair will be the 9th Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF) will be held from 9 to 11 February, 2023.

It was highlighted that about 2.2 million book lovers visited the 2022 IKBF and books worth Rs 23 crores were sold, breaking all its past records. This resulted in attracting a greater number of new publishers who intend to participate in the upcoming edition.